Girona roads are set to get mobile warning devices as the Catalan Traffic Service (SCT) moves to improve safety for cyclists and motorcyclists. The agency says the aim is to alert drivers when vulnerable road users are present and to encourage lower speeds.
Ramon Lamiel, director of the SCT, announced the plan on Monday in Girona during the presentation of the iRAP risk map by RACC and the SCT. The study found that conventional roads carry the highest risk, with the chance of a serious or fatal crash six times higher than on dual carriageways.
Cristian Bardají, director of Mobility at RACC, said the growing mix of road users, including cars, lorries, motorcycles, cyclists and personal mobility vehicles, is making roads more complex. He pointed to electric scooters and bicycles, and said many users do not have mandatory training for sharing road space.
Bardají said many scooter users do not know they cannot ride on main roads. He also said that, although more interurban cycle lanes are being built, cyclists do not always use them. In his view, the issue is partly cultural and needs more education for both drivers and new road users.
Lamiel said the SCT is working with different sectors to organise roads and reduce the risks linked to shared use. On roads with many cyclists and motorcyclists, the plan is to install mobile warning devices that tell drivers to expect these users and to slow down, with speed checks possible as well.
The SCT plans to use the measures on roads including the Tossa de Mar road, where controls are already in place, and the Roca road in the Selva area. The Àngels road is another location where the systems have been installed or will be tested. Lamiel said the devices will rotate between different sites.
The agency also plans to act on urban crossings with speed problems. Lamiel cited Quart, where the local council has discussed the issue with the SCT. After previous studies and measures, speed increases are still being recorded on one crossing in the municipality, and the SCT plans to transfer powers so the council can install a crossing radar under specific conditions.